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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27741628">Falling On Deaf Ears</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/RECHerondale/pseuds/RECHerondale'>RECHerondale</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>47 Prompt List 🗒 - Buddie Edition [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>9-1-1 (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Crushes, Evan "Buck" Buckley &amp; Josh Russo Friendship, M/M, Maddie Buckley is a Good Sister, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Not Beta Read, Pre-Relationship, Secret Crush, Sibling Bonding, Team as Family</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 19:28:34</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>968</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27741628</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/RECHerondale/pseuds/RECHerondale</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When her brother's attention starts straying, Maddie realises that there's something Buck's not telling her. Light hearted teasing turns into a serious conversation, but maybe it's something he needs to hear IF he chooses to listen.</p><p> </p><p>Prompt fill #1: "Are you even listening to me?"</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>47 Prompt List 🗒 - Buddie Edition [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2029321</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>123</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Falling On Deaf Ears</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I'm sorry if there's any mistakes, but I only did a quick read through before posting.</p><p>All feedback (kudos and comments) are encouraged and appreciated 😁</p><p>I hope you enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Buck and Maddie are out, catching up over lunch as has become their routine every week since Maddie got her own place after deciding to stay in Los Angeles. They’d both been pretty busy at work so there was a lot to talk about, especially considering some of the calls that have been coming into dispatch for crews to respond to in the past couple days – crazy doesn’t even begin to cover some of them. However, Buck is finding it hard to focus as his thoughts wander.</p><p>“- And I booked my tickets to Mars for Friday.” </p><p>Buck jolts out of his thoughts at the strange sentence he could have sworn just came out of Maddie's mouth. “Wait, what?”</p><p>Maddie huffs with an amused smile, making Buck blush and avoid her gaze. “Evan, are you even listening to me?”</p><p>“I was, I swear.”</p><p>“Mhmm, ‘<em>was</em>’ being the optimal word there.” Maddie comments, her smile melting into a concerned frown. “What’s on your mind?”</p><p>“Nothing.” He answers quickly – too quickly – and bites back a wince as the look on his sister’s faces shifts from concerned curiosity to amusement.</p><p>“Oh, I get it now.”</p><p>Buck frowns, his gaze darting around at the other patrons around them before landing on her once again. “Get what?”</p><p>“Buck, I might not have spent that much time with you when you were a teenager but I still remember – definitively - what you looked like when you had a crush.” Maddie smirks, leaning closer in interest. “So... who is she?”</p><p>“What? No- Mads, it’s nothing.” Buck holds his hands up, motioning for her to hold on. “I don’t know what you’re on about but I definitely don’t have a crush on anyone.”</p><p>She raises an eyebrow at his denial, smile growing on her face. “I don’t believe you. You only get that look in your eye and space out of conversations when you have something else on your mind – or, should I say, someone else on your mind.”</p><p>“Maddie-"</p><p>“Oh, come on, Evan. You know I just want you to be happy.” She reaches out to place her hand on his forearm where he has his arms crossed and resting along the edge of the table.</p><p>“And I am.”</p><p>“I know, but I also know how lonely you feel sometimes – no matter how well you think you’re hiding it – so forgive me for being a little excited that you seem like you’re harbouring some feelings for someone.” Maddie sighs. “Look, don’t tell me if you don’t want to or if you’re not ready to, I’m just happy to see that spark in your eyes again – it’s been a long time since I saw it last.”</p><p>Buck nods with a wry smile as he stares at the grain of the table. Unfortunately, he knows exactly what she means. Although he had thought he was head first in love with Abby, everyone was always a little doubtful and he gets it now – he loved her, he was infatuated with the idea of her, but looking back he can’t honestly pinpoint a moment that he was <em>in love</em> with her.</p><p>“It’s not a crush.” He finds himself admitting quietly, his eyes locked on the table so he doesn’t have to see her reaction.</p><p>“It’s that serious already? Evan, why didn’t you tell me you were seeing someone?”</p><p>“Because I’m not. Seeing anyone, I mean.” He shrugs. “But, yeah, I’m already too far gone to turn back now.”</p><p>When he risks a glance at his sister’s face, he catches the moment she realises what he’s saying.</p><p>“Do they know how you feel?” She sighs when he shakes his head. “Buck-"</p><p>“I can’t, Maddie. It’d ruin everything, and I can’t risk losing everything <em>again</em>.”</p><p>“Ruin everything how?”</p><p>“They don’t know, Maddie.”</p><p>Maddie pulls a face. “ Buck, I’m not a mind reader. Who is ‘they’?”</p><p>“Our friends. The team. Anyone.” He runs his face in frustration, mostly aimed at himself. “I didn’t tell them about my sexuality at first because I was scared that they’d react like our parents did.  But, they’re so open and accepting about stuff like that. By the time I got over the fear, it was too late – it’d be like I was lying to them all along, pretending to be someone else, if I told them now.”</p><p>“So it’s a guy then.” Maddie deduces. “They’re not like our parents, Buck. They love you regardless of who you fall in love with, and they won’t reject you for waiting until you felt comfortable to tell them.”</p><p>“I can’t do it, Maddie.” Buck insists, vehemently shaking his head.</p><p>“Okay, I’m not telling you that you <em>have</em> to, I’m just pointing out that they’re <em>not</em> our parents - they won’t react like they did.” She reacts quickly to reassure him. “So, tell me about them – this person you’ve fallen for.”</p><p>He hesitates. “Well... you know them actually.”</p><p>She frowns, holding up a hand for him to pause. “Wait, it’s not Josh, is it? Because I was kind of serious when I said I wouldn’t subject him to our brand of crazy – more so than he's already involved in.”</p><p>Buck huffs in amusement, shaking his head immediately. “No, it’s definitely not Josh.”</p><p>“Oh...” She trails off, obviously thinking about other possible suitors. “I can’t think of any more guys that we both know that seem like your ty- wait, Eddie!”</p><p>He knows by the look on her face that his face flushing immediately at the sound of his partner’s name has most definitely given him away.</p><p>“Oh my gosh – I should have known – you talk about him so often, and spend so much time together, it’s so obvious now.”</p><p>“Maddie!” He blushes, hiding behind his hands as she starts laughing.</p><p>“What? It’s true.”</p><p>He already regrets this conversation and it’s barely even started.</p>
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